19 March 2009

Only in the UK, but wish it were here

Council leaders have compiled a banned list of the 200 worst uses of jargon, with "predictors of beaconicity" and "taxonomy" among the worst horrors. The Local Government Association says such words and phrases must be avoided....

LGA chairman Margaret Eaton said: "The public sector must not hide behind impenetrable jargon and phrases....

"Why do we have to have 'coterminous, stakeholder engagement' when we could just 'talk to people' instead? If a council fails to explain what it does in plain English then local people will fail to understand its relevance to them. We do not pretend to be perfect, but as this list shows, we are striving to make sure that people get the chance to understand what services we provide."

The BC welfare system could use a similar attitude, although there's a strong suspicion among welfare recipients that government jargon is there intentionally, in order to confuse and not enlighten people about their rights.

A Plain English Campaign spokeswoman said: "This gobbledegook has to go. Jargon has its place within professions but it should not be allowed to leak out to the public, as it causes confusion. It could even be used to cover up something more sinister."

Chrystal Ocean: Social libertarian; democratic reformer; passionate activist for housing reform, especially for changes in property laws to be more inclusive of housing alternatives; atheist; founder of a group run by and for women in poverty, author of several blogs and a book. Contact | Complete profile

Daphne Moldowin: I have chosen a minimalist lifestyle, am a raw food vegan and an anti-capitalist. For me, less means more freedom: to rage against the machine and to speak my mind. I champion others who have small voices. Complete profile